The Road That Leads to You
by HellHoundess
Summary: How Celeste found her way to the Normalverse and was reunited with Negaduck. Written with a lot of help from BloodyBan. Thanks!


The Road That Leads to You  
By HellHoundess  
  
**I'm Standing on a bridge  
  
I'm waitin in the dark  
  
I thought that you'd be here by now  
  
There's nothing but the rain  
  
No footsteps on the ground  
  
I'm listening but there's no sound  
  
Isn't anyone tryin to find me?  
  
Won't someone please take me home  
  
It's a damn cold night  
  
Trying to figure out this life  
  
Wont you take me by the hand  
  
take me somewhere new  
  
I don't know who you are  
  
but I'm, I'm with you  
  
I'm looking for a place  
  
searching for a face  
  
is there anybody here i know  
  
cause nothings going right  
  
and everythings a mess  
  
and no one likes to be alone**  
  
* * *  
  
"As you can see, Director Hooter, my new dimentional transportation device will revolutionize the way our agents travel, "Dr. Sarah Bellum explained gleefully as she activated the machine. A blue glowing wormhole portal materialyzed. She beamed proudly.  
  
J Gander was not to easily set at ease however and approached the portal, rubbing his chin thoughtflly, "Very impressive, Dr. Bellum, but if this portal can bypass time space and dimetional boundries , how do we know someone can't go through the portal into our time?"  
  
Before she could reply a black masked figure leapt through the portal and crouched in a defensive position, keen eyes scanning the SHUSH lab. The girl couldn't have been more than in her early teens. Her feathers were a reddish brown with dark green patches over both eyes and white underlines, emphasizing wide, delicate hazel eyes despite the bruises and scars on her face. She wore a rather ragged black sweater and torn pants with thick combat boots obviously sized for someone much larger in statue. The tattered remains of a black cape flapped around her shoulders. The newcomer locked her eyes on Bellum, narrowing them to slits and snapped indignantly, "HEY! What's the big idea, you knob???? What is this a hospital?? You'll never take me alive!!!"  
  
Before anyone could move she snatched up the expando whammo pie gun and pulled the trigger twice," Eat.." She blinked in confusion as the weapon ejected two pastries, "Lemon merange?? Who's dumb idea for a weapon is this???"  
  
"Actually.." Dr Bellum began, but was cut off as the pies began to expand.  
  
Celeste gulped and backed away from the flood of gooey dough and ran out the door, panting and rubbing sweat from her forehead, then sniffed the air, " What is that putride odor..It smells like Fresh air.." she muttered with a scowl, scanning the clean streets with growing bewilderment, "WHAT HAPPENED TO MY BEAUTIFUL ST. CANARD?? Those Friendly Four losers are gonna get it for this..."  
  
* * *  
  
Bank alarms shrilled as Megavolt rushed by Celeste, not even noticing her, with Bushroot in toll, "Ohhh boy! the Boss ain't gonna be happy that we screwed this one up...!"  
  
The young villainess held her head til it stopped spinning, then rolled up her sleeves with a growl as she raced after the duo. "Hey Sparky, what'd you do to my city???"  
  
Megavolt screeched to a halt, the plugs on his head sizzling as he fumed, "Dyyaaahh! *DONT CALL ME SPARKY!!!*"  
  
" Hey, whos the kid??" Bushroot puzzled, gulping as Celeste grabbed him by the scrawny neck.  
  
"Alright Petal head, I want answers and I want them NOW."  
  
The plantduck wheezed and shot his partner a pleading look, "A little help here, Sputterspark..??"  
  
The electrically charged rat's head perked up at the approaching echo of sirens , "Look kid, we don't know what you're talking about! We've never seen you before in our frantic lives! Now if you'll excuse us, we gotta report back to the boss before our lives are cut even shorter!! " He snagged Bushroot up off of the ground by his flowery hair and dashed off, dragging him behind with a confused Celeste in pursuit.  
  
"Hey hold up, since when do you two run from cops?? Since when were there cops in this town..oy.. where's Big Mouth and the Puddle?"  
  
"If you're referring to Quackerjack and Liquidator, they're up in the high security super villain prison, which is where WE'RE gonna be if we don't shake those cops!!, " Megavolt panted, trying to scrabble over a fence.  
  
~Supervillains?? Ok, these two are loonier than ever..oh well I'll play along..~ "Right whatever...fine, I'll help you out, we villains have to stick together.." she glanced around then picked up a stuffed dog some child had previously dropped and tossed it out into the road, causing cars to screech and a huge pileup to occur, "There, that'll keep the cops busy"  
  
The two older villains just stared with their mouths agap, dumbfounded, then Megavolt snapped back to his senses and slapped Bushroot up the side of the head, " Why didn't you think of that??"  
  
"Now back to business," she dusted her hands off and rested them on her hips, "Some wackos in a lab tried to turn me into a science project and my city is RUINED, so be good knobs and show me the way to the man in charge, comprende?"  
  
"YOUR city?? Look kid, we don't know WHO you think you are, but...! ACK!" Megavolt stopped in midsentence as Bushroot yanked him back to whisper in his ear.  
  
" If we don't get back soon, the Boss is gonna zap US! And if we bring the kid along, who knows, maybe he'll just take his anger for us failing out on HER..."  
  
" Aww...but 'I' wanted to shock her...!" The rodent paused then nodded, "But I think I can pass up a barbecue to be spared the wrath of the Boss. Alright kid, don't say we didn't warn you..."  
  
* * *  
  
After a few moments they emerged from the park just outside the city, that eventually led them down to the docks, slowly coming up to an old abandoned warehouse. Only a single, large window was dimly lit on the top floor.  
  
Celeste smirked, "Nice, gloomy with just the right amount of menace. Almost reminds me of home .A tuna fish factory wouldn't have been my first pick but the rotting smell adds an air of corruption. " She poked her head out a broken window and grinned as she saw a trail of slimey green chemicals seeping out of the warehouse into the water. "And pollution to boot! I think I'm gonna like this guy"  
  
Bushroot's teeth begin to chatter nervously as they ventured up the darkened stairway, staying close behind Megavolt who was also hesitant as they stopped outside the closed door that seems to give off a dark, evil presence " Uhh...y-you might want to wait out here until he's done maiming us, short stuff..."  
  
" Uhh...you go first.." Megavolt muttered, giving Bushroot a shove.  
  
" What me?? I went first last time!! Okay, we'll settle this rationally..." The two engaged in paper, rock, scissors, and Bushroot's eyes lit up as he motioned paper, and Megavolt displayed a rock "Yes!!"  
  
" No! Rock rips through paper!" Megavolt insisted.  
  
"Huh??" Before he could further protest, the former scientist was suddenly shoved first into the room by Megavolt, who crept in cautiously behind him and closed the door after them with a gulp  
  
Frowning, Celeste leaned her head against the door to listen curiously, holding her breath.  
  
Negaduck, the Mighty Masked Mallard of Menace, stood at the large window that took up an entire wall at the back of his office, facing away from them with his arms folded behind him as he spoke in a low, threatening tone, "Dont think I didn't hear those sirens.... You knobs failed yet AGAIN...."  
  
" B-b-but Boss! It wouldn't have gone wrong if Gizmoduck hadn't shown up so..." Bushroot stammered, flinching to a quivering halt as his employer interrupted him.  
  
Still not turning yet, Negaduck snarled, " I'M NOT FINISHED, YOU KNOB!!" The two other villains stood straight up with a slight yelp, freezing and remaining silent.  
  
Meanwhile Celeste jumped sharply, the color draining from her face as the voice reached her and she swallowed hard in shock, shaking her head disbelieveingly but leans against the door again, straining to hear. Suddenly the door swung open and spilled her face first into the office. Bushroot cried out at the sound of the door crashing in and jumped into Megavolt's arms. The rat gave him a disgusted glare before dropping him to the ground with a thump.  
  
"Now that, "Celeste commented as she coughed from the settling dust, getting back to her feet, "Was an enterance."  
  
Negaduck just sighs disappointedly, shaking his head while looking down, the darkness from outside and in the room concealing most of his appearance aside from his basic outline, "You knobs let someone follow you back here to MY hideout...?" He paused as the small spy spoke up, not recognizing her voice from the long years of seperation, "And a kid, at that...??"  
  
Bushroot and Megavolt exchanged a glance before pointing at the other,"It was HIS idea!!!"  
  
The girl stepped forward, squinting to get a better look at the mysterious menace by the window, "Actually it was my idea. Are you the one responsible for this place because I just have one question...what the heck did you do to my city??? It's all suburbian and junk!!"  
  
"Yeah yeah! It was HER idea!"  
  
" We were just victims of her manipulative ways! She's an original femme fatal, Boss!"  
  
"Oh please! Without me you knobs would be sitting in the super pokey picking crab grass out of the walls!"  
  
"ENOUGH!!! " Negaduck bellowed, then lowed his voice with an intensely threatening stature, "You two knobs get outta here...I'll wring your scrawny necks later, but leave the kid with me...I'll deal with you two after I deal with her... Now...OUT!!!" The two scrambled over each other to get out of the room, yanking each other back by their feet to make it out first and slammed the door behind them, leaving Celeste alone with Negaduck. In a short few weeks before their next meeting they would have completely forgotten her, assuming she was another hapless victume of Negaduck's wrath.  
  
She nervously pulled at her collar and backed up, "I should warn you, I'm a Quack-fu black belt!. not to mention a chronic bleeder.."  
  
Negaduck smirked, still keeping his back to her,"And I should warn you...I'm versed in every type of instant-kill weaponry in this country, " he paused for affect then added, "You made a mistake by letting yourself get tangled with those knobs, hence tangling in MY affairs...it was one FATAL mistake that I'm sure you WON'T be making again anytime soon..."  
  
Celeste laughed weakly,"My how time flies... I have to go cook diner, toodles!" She struggled with the door, trying to pry it open. No luck. Locked. Oh man.Without warning a bullet exploded inches from the door and her face. She gulped and turned to face him, "Alright, the Negahatching doesn't run from a fight, bring it on," she bluffed, using her more intimidating alter-ego name. Oh at least she hoped it was intimadating...right now it just sounded corny.  
  
" Ahhh...a teenager with spirit, eh?? Ha! I HATE that...! " He slowly stalked across the room towards her, gun still in his hand, " Well, brat, no one finds out where MY hideout is and gets away with it..."  
  
" Yah ? Well no one's taking the Negahatchling down without a fight, not you, Destructoduck, those Friendly Four knobs or anyone else," she shot back, tensing herself to spring.  
  
He tilted his head curiously, the darkness of the room still keeping their faces concealed from one another. "Negahatchling?? Destructoduck?? Friendly Four?? Just WHO do you think you are, short stuff?? " He suddenly lashed out and grabbed the front on her shirt, holding the gun to the side of her head." Well whoever you are making yourself out to be, you'll be sorry that you stood up to me, you little..!!" The single dim light in the room illuminated their faces for the first time and revealing his intense, deadly glare that slowly faltered in a sense of realization, causing him to freeze.  
  
Celeste drew in a sharp gasp, freezing other than the shaking that she had suddenly developed and her legs turned to water. If he weren't holding her up she'd probably have fallen and fainted as she swallowed hard, "D...Dad?"  
  
"C-C-Celeste....?" He stammered, dropping the gun to the floor with a 'clang' as his eyes widened and staggered back a step, looking at her in disbelief.  
  
Hot tears stung her eyes as she whispered weakly, " Daddy.." Then suddenly she was hugging him tightly, sobbing with her face buried against his chest, her hands knotted so tightly in his cape as if she thought lessening her grip even the slightest meant that he's going to disappear before her eyes, " I thought I'd never see you again.."  
  
Negaduck collapsed to his knees, holding her tightly and protectively, his head resting against hers, "Celeste...shh shh, its okay, I'm here..." He ran his trembling fingers through her short chestnut locks and rocked her gently, letting out a shaky sigh, "I'm not gonna loose you again..."  
  
"I waited and waited and you never came back, I wanted to apologize about that stupid arguement we had but you never came back and ..and.. I'm so sorry, please don't hate me anymore Dad, " she choked.  
  
" No no no Cel, please don't think that...Thats not the reason I never came back..." He took her by the shoulders and held her back to he could look into her eyes, "While trying to lure Darkwing out of the Negaverse, we had a spat in the portal and...it collapsed..."  
  
" It wasn't because you were mad at me?"  
  
" Of course not! I barely made it out of being sucked into oblivion while Darkwing got away without a scratch. But when I came to, I wasn't home...I was here. And the first thing that came across my mind was getting back home...back to my daughter ..." A painful expression etched it's way into his face, " I searched and searched for another way to get back through...to escape this hell-hole, but...it was hopeless..."  
  
Celeste shook her head, turning his face back toward her and nuzzled his cheek, "It doesn't matter. None of it matters now as long as I'm with you."  
  
Negaduck: hugged her again, now shaking violently as a single tear seeped through his dark mask and splattered on her bill, "I'm so sorry, kiddo....that I wasn't there when you needed me..."  
  
" Just don't leave again and we'll call it even..as long as yer not still gonna shoot me," she added with a wink.  
  
"Well can you blame me for that being my first reaction? I barely recognized you..." He grinned roguishly, holding her out small distance away to look at her, " Lemme take a look at you....Holy Hell, you've changed..."  
  
"Eh I'm just a few inches taller, " she teased, removing her black mask and the same hazel eyes he remembered stared up at him with adoration.  
  
"But still my devious little devil, I see."  
  
" I kept in practice between Destructoduck and the Friendly..hey how come the Geek Squad is working for you now? I thought you hated those knobs!" she commented, jerking a thumb toward the door.  
  
" Oh...THOSE knobs..." he rolled his eyes sarcastically, " Back in the Negaverse, yeah I despised them and they were useless, working against me. But here, their skills and powers are used towards committing evil deeds. Granted, they're intelligence level is just as low, but they do come in handy to me every now and then."  
  
" Yer kidding me.those losers are villains? Oy...good thing I kept them from getting snagged by the cops."  
  
"YOU prevented THEM from getting caught?? I'm impressed..." he snickered then paused, watching her move to the window then slowly came up beside her, "Yeah it's different here....It may look like our 'personal playground' but now its enforced with its 'playground rules' complete with punishments for breaking them..." He scowled bitterly.  
  
"Bummer....sounds like it needs some touching up, " she looked at the Tower wistfully, " what about the house? Is it still here?"  
  
He hesitated before replying, " It is...but its not ours..."  
  
"Oh. so..where do we live?" Her expression wilted at the thought that she'd never see her old room again.  
  
" Well, since the only person who I've had to look out for was myself, I usually just got by with running around from place to place, and just crashing on my couch or my chair here in my office whenever I needed a break. But now that I've got my daughter back..." His look softened as he ruffled her hair, " looks like I'll have to 'invest' in something more fitting..."  
  
She nodded, attempting to stiffle a yawn, her eyelids drooping. Negaduck smirked affectionantly, motioning for her to come to him. "C'mere, kiddo... " He lifted her off her feet and set her down in the large chair with him, " You're staying with Daddy tonight..."  
  
Celeste smiled and snuggled into his arms as her eyes slipped shut. He took the edge of his cape and wrapped it around them both, holding her gently before singing softly in a low voice, "Sometimes it feels like the world's on my shoulders...Everyone's leaning on me....Cause sometime's it feels like the world's almost over....But then she comes back to me..." He smiled, giving her a gentle kiss on the top of her head, " Love you, kiddo...sleep well for once in a long time..."  
  
* * *  
  
**Isn't anyone tryin to find me?  
  
Won't someone please take me home  
  
It's a damn cold night  
  
Trying to figure out this life  
  
Wont you take me by the hand  
  
take me somewhere new  
  
I don't know who you are  
  
but I'm, I'm with you  
  
oh why is everything so confusing  
  
maybe I'm just out of my mind  
  
yea yea yea  
  
It's a damn cold night  
  
Trying to figure out this life  
  
Wont you take me by the hand  
  
take me somewhere new  
  
I don't know who you are  
  
but I'm, I'm with you  
  
Take me by the hand  
  
take me somewhere new  
  
I don't know who you are  
  
but I'm, I'm with you  
  
I'm with you  
  
Take me by the hand  
  
take me somewhere new  
  
I don't know who you are  
  
but I'm, I'm with you  
  
I'm with you  
  
I'm with you...* * 


End file.
